


Off Book

by poetically_ordinary



Series: Prompt Fills [6]
Category: Captain America - All Media Types, Iron Man - All Media Types, Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: But Still Kind Of Is, Gen, Not A Fix-It, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Prompt Fill, Thor critical
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-04
Packaged: 2018-09-14 16:58:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9194798
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poetically_ordinary/pseuds/poetically_ordinary
Summary: After the Civil War, Tony has been working on bigger and better ways to protect Earth from outside threats. When Thanos finally makes his move, it's time to see if all his planning and hard work pulls off.





	

Thanos arrives almost a year after the media dubbed ‘Civil War’ and he has the potential to be every bit as terrifying as Loki warned them he was.

Thor arrives via the Bifrost scant hours after the first ships start showing up on long distance scanners. He lands out in front of the Avengers Compound and strolls in ready for battle.

“Rogers! Stark!” Thor’s voice echoes through the area, startling a few of the new recruits as Tony moves out to approach him.

“Thor, welcome back.”

“This is no time for idle pleasantries Stark. Grab the Captain, I must speak with him and with you all.” Thor’s eyes glance around the area, no doubt expecting Captain America to just materialize out of thin air.

“Sorry, no can do.” Tony says and Thor turns to look at him.

“This is not a time for games Stark.” He scolds and Tony just puts his hands in his pockets with an unconcerned air about him.

“Didn’t think it was big guy. Regardless, I can’t get Rogers because he isn’t here. None of them are.” This throws Thor off for a moment.

“Well go and fetch them, post haste Man of Iron.”

Tony shakes his head again. “Sorry, can’t do that either.”

“We need our shield brothers and sister Stark. A terrible foe approaches as we speak. There is no time.”

“You mean Thanos?” Thor gets a confused look as Tony shrugs. “Yeah, we picked him up about two hours ago. I guess he’s passing Saturn now and if he maintains at his current rate of speed he’ll be here in approximately twelve hours.”

“Aye, he approaches quickly. We need to prepare for battle.”

“Already on it.” Thor nods and relaxes a bit.

“When will the others arrive?”

“They’re not going to.” Tony pauses as he thinks about it. “Or at least from my understanding right now on how the UN Council feels about international terrorists, I don’t think they’re coming.” He can tell that he’s lost Thor somewhere in whatever he was saying, although to be fair – he used to lose Thor a _lot_. So the look isn’t really a new look for the would be god.

“You speak in riddles, speak plainly Stark.” Thor commands and Tony shrugs.

“Captain Rogers, Hawkeye, Black Widow, Scarlet Witch and Falcon are all fugitives from the law.” He sees the frown on Thor’s face. “That means that they’ve broken the laws and that the authorities or the leaders of this planet – want them caught and imprisoned.”

Thor’s face instantly darkens as Tony finishes up his ‘clarification’. “Who would dare to threaten my shield brothers like so?”

“That would be the people of Earth and all of their elected governments.” Tony replies and Thor shakes his head.

“I demand to speak to them. This shall not be stood for.”

“And what is that old buddy, old pal?” Thor glances at him with that baffled look again. “I’m just asking for clarification myself. What ‘shall not be stood for’?”

“It is not right that warriors be treated as such.”

“So you’re saying that on Asgard, a lowly warrior has more authority and say than the King and his council do?”

“What? Of course not.”

“Then I’m confused again, what ‘shall not be stood for’? Consider our governments like your ‘Allfather’. They make the rules and if you break the rules you’re punished. Rogers and the others haven’t just gone around breaking the rules, they’ve full out smashed and grinded them into tiny little pieces.”

“Surely their past history grants them leniency.”

“Did your past history or station prevent Odin from punishing you?” Thor’s face darkens and he pulls out the hammer and points it at Tony.

“Have care how you speak Stark.”

“Have care not to go poking your head into the judicial affairs of other planets. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got a ‘Mad Titan’ to handle.”

Thor laughs, it’s a loud and mocking thing. “Stark, you reach too far. The Mad Titan is beyond your puny machines.” He shakes his head like this is the funniest joke he’s heard yet. “Go and tell your leaders that the Avengers will be needed for this battle. Tell them that they will receive a full pardon for their supposed crimes, or the son of Asgard will not stand with earth.” It’s clear that Thor thinks he’s just laid down the end all trump card.

“FRIDAY, did you get all of that? Please forward that to Everett Ross and the Accords Council.” Tony says as he turns to walk away.

 _‘Sending.’_ She replies as Thor moves to block his way.

“Where are you going Stark?”

“I’m going to go check on our friend Thanos and make sure that everything is ready.”

“What is to be ready Stark? And why are you not with the Captain?”

“Oh, finally got around to that question did we? Yeah – Rhodey, Vision and I didn’t follow after Rogers when he decided to go full on anarchist and decide that he should hold a higher authority than every sovereign government on the planet. I haven’t seen him in months.”

“You did not stand beside your leader?” Thor growls. “Have you no honor?”

“Honor? Is that what you’d call it? I’d call it obeying the fucking law but then again, what do I know.” Tony pauses and glances down at his watch. “Now, as much as I would _love_ to continue this absolutely engaging conversation with you, there are bigger problems at hand – wouldn’t you agree?”

“I have come to this planet ready to do battle.”

“Yeah? Well I’ve been living on this planet and I hope that it never comes to that.” Tony shakes his head. “If I can prevent Thanos from recreating New York, I’m going for it.”

“You cannot hope to hold off the Titan by yourself.”

“You’re right, I can’t hold off Thanos by myself.” Thor nods once and Tony continues, “However you’re mistaken in believing that I’m alone.”

“You have already said that the Captain and his allies are gone from your side.”

“True, but I have new allies and a few old ones that you seem to be forgetting. Vision is ready to go, War Machine is ready as well. Bruce is also willing to go green if we need him to. Not to mention everyone else. Hopefully though…it’ll never come to that. Now if you’ll excuse me.”

Tony walks away from Thor, hearing the Asgardian following behind him. He considers telling Thor to go wait in the waiting area or something until the Accords Council gets back to him, but he determines that would be too big of a hassle to deal with. He enters the upper floor and looks around at all of the computer screens.

“Mr. Stark.” Is heard coming from several live video chats from Stark bases around the world.

“Hello everyone, apologies for my tardiness. Let’s not waste any more time and get this show on the road okay?” There are comments of assent. “FRIDAY, it’s go time. Activate Protocol 1.”

 _‘Protocol 1 Activated. The Iron Legion is online and mobilizing.’_ Tony watches as the red lights turn to green on his screen.

“Alright, next up. FRIDAY Activate Protocol 6.”

 _‘Protocol 6 Activated. External Planetary Shields coming online.’_ Tony keeps his eyes on the information coming across the screens. Everything is looking perfect so far.

”What is this Stark? No shield will stop Thanos.”

“Actually, it took us a little while to test it – but the Infinity Stones don’t do well against Arc Reactor Energy. It shorts them out. I’ve also been testing with the leftover Chitari weapons from New York and the various other pieces of space weaponry. The EPS system holds.”

 _‘Boss, EPS levels are at optimum levels and holding.’_ Tony nods. _‘And you have a call on the private server.’_

“Is it important?”

_‘I do not think so.’_

Tony frowns a little at her response. Who was calling the private servers at this time? “Who is it?”

 _‘It is Miss Romanoff and the others sir.’_ Thor stands up straighter with a smile.

“Good, they have been located. Accept the call.” There’s no response for a moment and Tony has to hide his snigger at FRIDAY’s response.

“Yeah, she doesn’t take orders from anyone else. But nice try there buddy.” He starts typing away on the keyboard. “May as well take it FRI. Thank you for the heads up.”

_‘Of course.’_

“Tony?” It’s been a long time since Tony’s heard Natasha’s voice and if he thought that it might cause some kind of nostalgic feeling to well up in him – he’s happy to say he’s mistaken.

“Here. I would ask how you got this number, but I won’t waste either of our times.”

“Lady Natasha, I am pleased to hear your voice.” Thor greets and Tony doesn’t even try to prevent the eye roll that he gives.

“Thor? Nice to hear from you. It’s good to hear your voice.” There’s some shuffling on the other side. “Steve would like to say hi.”

Tony hears the sounds of the phone shifting before Roger’s voice comes over it. “Hey Thor…hello Tony.”

“Greetings to you as well Captain.” Tony doesn’t reply and he notices the look that Thor gives him out of the corner of his eye. “Stark extends his greetings also.”

“Look…Tony now isn’t the time for this. We’re on our way to you.”

“I wouldn’t do that right now, we have enough on our plates without having to worry about arresting you as well.”

“We’re coming to help you Tony. We’re coming to do what the Avengers do best – protect this planet and save people.”

“I didn’t ask and trust me I never will ask for your assistance Rogers. As for the second half of your statement, you’re right. The Avengers protect the planet and the people. However you are not Avengers anymore. You threw that away a while ago. If you want to come and offer standby assistance to the Avengers, you know what you have to do.”

“We’re not signing the Accords Tony.”

“Then don’t bother coming here, because you’ll just be in the way.”

“This isn’t the time for your ego Stark. This is so much bigger than you.” Natasha pipes in over the phone and Tony chuckles.

“Rhodey owes me twenty bucks now.”

“What?” Is the baffled response to his seemingly random sentence.

“I bet Rhodey that ‘my ego’ would come up within the first ten minutes of any conversation with the lot of you. He said twenty minutes. I win.”

“Tony this isn’t the time for games.”

“You know, you’re the second person to say that to me in the last hour. What do you know about what I’m doing? When have you ever cared to know about what I’m doing? I’m getting really irritated at all of you throwing out this whole ‘Tony doesn’t know how to take things seriously’ bullshit. I know what I’m doing.” He types out a few more things. “FRIDAY, let’s keep things rolling. Protocol 7 approved.”

_‘Protocol 7 activating. Waiting for secondary approval…Colonel James Rhodes approval noted, Protocol 7 active.’_

“Protocol 7? What is Protocol 7 Tony?” Steve asks, a concerned tone to his voice.

“That is Earth’s defense coming online. Now if you don’t mind I need to get back to it.”

“You need us there Tony.”

“No actually, I don’t. I don’t know where you got it in your head that you’re all some kind irreplaceable peg to this whole thing, but you’re not.”

“The Avengers-”

“The Avengers are here.” Tony cuts Steve’s self-important tirade off. “Captain Marvel, Spider-Man, Doctor Strange, War Machine, Vision, Iron Fist, Power Man, Jones, Miss Marvel and the Hulk. Those are the Avengers. Those are the people who have agreed to protect this world over their own egos. Learn a thing or two from them.”

“Tony…you know you need us. We’re your family.” Tony laughs and shakes his head.

“Trust me Rogers, you are _anything but_ my family. Now I have to go.” FRIDAY ends the call and Tony ignores Thor glancing at him. “Alright, show time people.”

It’s a stressful few hours that follow Natasha’s call and Thor’s sudden departure from Earth at the UN Council’s refusal to just wipe the slates of the ex-Avengers clean. Carol stands beside Tony, opposite Rhodey as they watch the screens show the valiant battle happening up in space. Tony swipes through fighting algorithms and method strategies in seconds as FRIDAY, JOCASTA and him light up Thanos’s army.

“I feel like I’m watching a strange version of Enders Game or whatever that movie was called.” Carol says as she watches Tony work and Tony snorts in amusement, but doesn’t say anything.

They break open the good stuff when the battle ends.

When Thanos’s forces are pressed back and the Mad Titan fails at his attempt to breach the security shield surrounding the planet.

“Look what you accomplished Tony...” Rhodey says, his voice oozing pride. “Not one life, just like you swore. You did it man. You did it. You saved us all.”

“FRIDAY and JOCASTA get most of the credit, but…” Tony smiles and joins the toast. “We did it guys. We’ve protected the Earth.”

“That’s what Avengers do.” Carol says and Tony nods.

“That’s what Avengers do.” He repeats as they all toast and Tony realizes that he’s not just some rich boy playing hero like Rogers always said. He’s not just Tony Stark – Not recommended like Natasha claimed…

He is Tony Stark - He is Iron Man.

And he is an Avenger.


End file.
